Tourism will grind to a halt when this thing really hits. But you will still get people. Stragglers. Bargain hunters.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
Printable View
Tourism will grind to a halt when this thing really hits. But you will still get people. Stragglers. Bargain hunters.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
The other day I was talking with someone in our dancing group and wondered how much of a hit our monthly dance admissions will take when a bunch of older people decide they don't want to be dancing up close and personal with others. The complete opposite of social distancing....
I'm dubious about that. People come here because it is "remote" and "unspoiled", I'm worried more may come here, viewing it as a safer place to visit.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
I hope you are right though, I'd love a break from the crowds this summer!
We haven’t changed our behavior but it’s not here yet. We will when things change.
Last week, DH and I went to church (we're still in NJ, and it wasn't a church we've been to before). When we did the Peace, the people in front of us turned to us and said, "Oh, we have a cold, so we're just fist-bumping".Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
It occurred to us later that they probably don't have a cold; that they are doing the fist-bump because of the virus.
The fist bump seems a poor compromise, you're still touching your hands together.
We do a training drill pretty frequently where we contaminate a surface or a patient with a small amount of very very fine powder that glows in UV, and then do a scenario. After it is over, and everything cleaned up, a bit later we go over with the UV, and see how far the contamination has spread outside the "clean" area. It can make it all the way from the scene to the inside of the station and the break room.
Be careful out there. Your common sense intuition of such things isn't well-tuned.
I think the problem with that is that some of these sorts of diseases are transmissible before you know that it's in your community. By the time you think things have changed, they already have.Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry
Bae, that’s probably true but we already spend a lot of time at home so need to get out some.
Personally I wonder if, depending on how this plays out, this is the point where we realize that lack of paid sick days for low paid workers (fast food/restaurants/grocery stores, etc) is really such a good idea regardless of whether one works those jobs. Sure, I can stay home if I don't feel well. Heck, I work from home so I have the luxury of being able to lie down for a while if I don't feel well and I still get paid and don't have to take a day off. But a minimum wage employee? Not so much. Is it really realistic to ask them/expect them to stay home if they think they have something that may or may not be the coronavirus? Especially if it means they won't make rent or other bills for the month?
It would surely be better for all of us if they could, in fact, stay home when they are sick.
There are a lot of jobs where working from home isn’t an option. Or the employer doesn’t give the Average Joe access, only managers. That’s the way it is at my job. I could access email from home. Nothing more. And you need remote access to our shipping software to really be able to be productive.
Or the VPN at work might not be able to handle everyone working at home. That seems likely the case.
The paid time off for sick days, yes it's very needed, but haven't we all seen people come into work sick even so? So we have 3 paid sick days a year, which is the legal minimum in CA for full time non-contract work I believe (I also save up at least a couple vacation days for sickness, and I never even get sick almost, like once in the past 4 years or something, but saving up for once in a blue moon). But despite having *some* sick time people are always coming in sick even so and it's that way everywhere even where there is a more generous 5 sick days a year.
Well, a few days ago, State and local governments were moving along relatively smoothly, using protocols and such established during the Ebola outbreak, and I was fairly happy about the state of affairs.
With the Federal government stepping up with some top-notch know-nothings yesterday, and clamping down on information flow and testing/reporting protocols, I am much less happy. It's as if they took everything we learned from the Ebola situation, and all that has been developed since then to deal with these things, and thrown it out the back door.
Good luck.
I've wondered what happens to people quarantined for two weeks. Are they eligible for sick time if they even have that benefit? Short term disability if they even have it?
Just watched a documentary on Youtube about the 1918 Spanish flu. Amazing how similar except that the death rate back then was much much worse. But the handling and government mistakes are so similar.
I can’t help but think we are also seeing an element of panic here. An overpriced market looking for reasons to tank. A media in search of a juicy disaster. A political party hoping the usual Trump Teflon won’t be virus proof. Conspiracy theories about lab bred diseases,
A significant portion of the public associate this virus with the beer of the same name.
Corona beer should be safe to drink with a wedge of lime stuck in the bottle neck. (wink)
Speaking of bottle necks... I understand that to test a patient for coronavirus, a hospital needs a specific kit, which is only available from the CDC. I heard a talking head on television say that the entire state of California has 200 kits available. (I don't know if it is a fact.) But I wonder if there might be significant numbers of people who are sick "with a bug" who are not tested, and may be infected without anyone knowing.
All. Of. This. I read a news article this morning about someone who had contracted H1N1 ("swine flu") years ago and remembered the crisis around that. Then I remembered the crises around H5N1 ("bird flu", which also centered prominently in China), SARS, ...Quote:
Originally Posted by LDAHL
It's way too early to tell if COVID-19 is going to be worse than those or if this is just another example of a global infectious disease that lends itself well to pearl-clutching. Not saying it won't be -- it's just too early to know now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDAHL
The beauty of the Chicken Little approach, for those who stand to benefit from it, is that you really can’t lose. On the small chance you’re right (enough), you can say “I told you so”. And if you’re wrong, you can either claim your timely warning saved the day or be almost certain the whole thing will soon be forgotten.Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinMN
A town nearby quarantined two people and has shut the high school down as a precaution, as one of them is on staff.
Meanwhile, I'm laying in supplies and looking forward to cocooning.
And this is why I concentrate on "real" news from medical sources. Our media fluctuates from ignorance to sensationalism (much like our government officials.)
a very U.S. centric view. What the U.S. media does or Trump vs the Dems is not that much concern to the rest of the world (I mean I don't doubt much of the rest of the world may want Trump gone, but it's not their priority in life). And yet they still react to corona virus). This doesn't mean it's definitely going to be horrible but that they are taking it seriously.Quote:
I can’t help but think we are also seeing an element of panic here. An overpriced market looking for reasons to tank. A media in search of a juicy disaster. A political party hoping the usual Trump Teflon won’t be virus proof.
I FINALLY have a day off! Just came back from Food City where I took a wheeled cart and started stocking up on canned goods and tp while such is still easily available. Next up are herbal immune boosters and cat food. Thanks to Mexico I have meds stockpiled and so does SO.
Frankly, I'm getting worried. Austria now has three confirmed cases now and when I spoke to my Cousin Astrid late night last night she dropped the superior air she usually uses with me as she does have better citizenship. She was very human and very concerned. And now Mexico has two confirmed cases - one in Mexico City and one in Sinaloa State.
As Teacher Terry stated above, my job - and SO's - are very dependent on tourism and therefore vulnerable. Thankfully we've been saving money and thankfully I have places I can stay in Mexico should things end out crazier here than in Mexico. That said, introvert that I am, I do embrace the idea of being quarantined/locked down. I could use a break from society, I really could. Right now any travel plans have been put on hold, though I would still go to Algodones - this could change going forward. It's amazing to me that not too far off it may be problematic to access the human rights of saner costs in Mexico - one of the fundamentals of my life. But.....should things get serious, we'll all have to give things up. At least I have no shortage of reading material at home.
Stay safe and healthy everyone, as best you can. Rob
With the government deciding which virus news is allowable, I hope our (still free) press steps up and fills in the gap.Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetana3
Well, I had found the daily data-filled reports from the government quite helpful in preparing to do my job. This seems to be drying up now that Pence The Faithful Scientist has firmly seized the reins, but at least the state-level info is still flowing. I suspect talking heads on the news won't quite fill the same role for me. I wonder if teams like mine will be a bit hesitant to fully engage if we are cut off from information from above.Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneV2.0
Putting Pence in charge of anything--especially anything scientific--is laughable, and he has a terrible history vis-a-vis communicable diseases.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
I share your concern about the mainstream media--I suppose we'll have to dig deeper for useful epidemic information.
Yes Pence in charge is horrible. I am glad we are retired and can just stay home. Of course if we were younger we would have a much better chance of survival if we got it. A doctor in Poland said that they are ill equipped to handle a outbreak. Not surprised as they aren’t a wealthy country.
Perhaps I understated my concerns - I require specific, actionable data, for our regional infectious disease control team. The information flow is drying up.Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneV2.0
It's like the early stages of a bad sci-fi viral outbreak film, when idiot government officials clamp down on info. Maybe that's handy for keeping the public happy, and the stock market working, but it's terrible for people who have to get their hands dirty.
If you are in good health otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much about your age being a huge factor. If you have the sorts of things that unhealthy older people have, your odds do get worse of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry
The terrible truth is that even wealthy countries don't really have the resources to handle more than a few patients who have anything terribly infectious. The whole State of Washington only had a handful of beds at some very specific sites ready to receive Ebola patients. A dozen patients would have exceeded the capacity of the system.Quote:
A doctor in Poland said that they are ill equipped to handle a outbreak. Not surprised as they aren’t a wealthy country.
Bae, I can see why you are concerned about the ability to do your job correctly if information is being stifled. I have asthma and HBP and my husband has diabetes. Even a cold hits me hard. We exercise and keep our weight down but both the HBP and diabetes are hereditary. My asthma is induced by my allergies so it’s possible it could go away if I moved to a really cold climate but the doctor isn’t sure.
Be good with your social distancing and handwashing and all that good stuff! Be well!Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry
Bae, I find that there are two calm and in depth sources of daily update. Medcram and Dr. John Campbell on Youtube. They are gathering and summarizing many sources of data and giving easy to understand updates. I have found the US sources full of assumptions, sensationalism, and just plain bad info.
Austria! Mexico!Quote:
Originally Posted by gimmethesimplelife
Today DH mentioned he may flee to Cuba if he catches Coronavirus because the health care system is so good there, you know.
I've been following the daily Medcram updates since you first recommended it. He gets a little technical at times but it's a very good information supplement without any hype.Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetana3
IL, I'd tell him to try somewhere other than Cuba. My friend watched his pregnant mother get kicked in the stomach by Castro's soldiers during the takeover. He was six.
And what do you know it people are working sick here. Like I said it does some good to have paid sick time, but it really doesn't mean that people will stay home sick unless they are on deaths door. At least it might keep those who feel like they are on deaths door out of the workplace!!!
But as is people want to use all their time off including sick time for the beach or something. It's not mature or adult but hey people are idiots duh. It is EVER THUS in my experience. If there was more than sick time but also a truly generous vacation policy (4-5 weeks might do it) so that people weren't saving their sick days for extra vacation time THEN maybe peoples coming to work sick would improve, maybe ... But decades of working and I've seldom seen more than 2 weeks vacation time, have to go to another country for that.
Before retiring I had 5 weeks of annual vacation, 6 annual personal days, 4 annual personal holidays and one week of paid time off for plant shutdown in the summer, plus 10 sick days per year. That's 8 weeks of paid time off without counting sick time. Before that I also had 5 weeks annual vacation and personal days bringing the total paid time off to 6 weeks. And before that I was in the military where I received 30 days of paid leave each year. Most everyone I know had similar, right here in the good ol' USA!Quote:
Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore
I have 10 vacation days and 3 sick days a year (3 paid sick days a year are required under California law, no vacation time is required), no other personal time off, paid national holidays of course. I budget a couple of those 10 vacation days in case of sickness which could take more than 3 days afterall. It makes me livid that others come to work sick. But it happens ALL THE TIME.
IL, as I've stated before - realistically we don't live in the same country. Please respect this. I can accept that you may find some of what I post to be out there. Granted. The kicker us that in my country, what I have posted is mundane and everyday - akin to talking about the weather. Like they say in Spanish - Asi es la vida. RobQuote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
But they have government health care, that is all that matters.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
Yeah, tamping down on information. Disgusting... trump needs to go! He hollowed out the government so there is no one who knows what to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae